Patna: Bihar has witnessed a sharp decline in the proportion of female voters following the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, with official data showing that more women than men were deleted from the lists.
Before the revision on January 1, the state had 914 female voters for every 1,000 male voters. However, the final voter list published on October 1 shows this figure has fallen to 892 – a drop of 22 women per thousand men in just seven months.
During the SIR, 2.274 million female voters were removed from the rolls compared with 1.555 million male voters, largely due to deaths, migration, and duplication corrections, according to the Election Commission.
The decline in the voter sex ratio was observed in 37 of Bihar’s 38 districts, with only Bhojpur showing improvement. Bhagalpur now has the highest female-to-male voter ratio at 939, while Lakhisarai and West Champaran report the lowest at 872. Twelve districts, including Siwan, Munger, and East Champaran, fall below the state average.
Kishanganj district recorded the sharpest fall, losing 63 female voters per 1,000 men — from 937 in January to 874 in October. Other significant declines were seen in Bhagalpur (43), Purnia (38), Buxar (36), and Siwan (34).
Overall, only 11 districts, including Gaya, Nawada, Jamui, Katihar, Madhepura, Saharsa, Sheikhpura, Supaul, Araria, and Bhagalpur, have maintained a voter sex ratio above 900.
The 2011 Census recorded Bihar’s population sex ratio at 918 women per 1,000 men. In the voter list published in January 2025, 18 districts—including Patna, Araria, and Madhepura—had ratios better than the census figure. Following the SIR, that number dropped to just five: Madhepura, Saharsa, Vaishali, Khagaria, and Bhagalpur.
After the three-month revision process, Bihar’s total voter count stands at 74.2 million, down from 78.9 million earlier this year.
As the state prepares for the upcoming assembly elections, both political alliances are stepping up efforts to appeal to women voters. The ruling NDA has raised social security pensions to Rs 1,100 and increased the honorariums of Jeevika Didis and Anganwadi workers, alongside launching schemes to promote self-employment among women. The opposition Grand Alliance, meanwhile, has pledged to provide Rs 2,500 per month to women starting December 1.
